IT started with a request from a government-funded employment agency for Kylie, a 43-year-old single mum from Newcastle, to attend an appointment to assess her ‘‘employment pathway’’.
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She rang to politely explain that she had a job, and would be unable to attend because she would be at work.
They agreed there had been an error, but it was up to her to fix it by contacting Centrelink.
What followed was a litany of failures by Centrelink ending with a complaint, an internal investigation, and a formal apology.
Kylie is not alone, with communication identified by Commonwealth Ombudsman Colin Neave as a glaring issue in a report about the nation’s most complained-about organisation.
The first of 12 ‘‘remedial recommendations’’ made by him was for more affordable and equitable telephone access, and better prioritisation of urgent inquiries (find the full report here: ombuds man.gov.au/media-releases/show/233)
Kylie spent hours on hold during three phone calls to Centrelink about their error, unable to leave a message or talk to anybody, then she tried the complaints line, the employment agency (again), and went back to Centrelink in a fourth call.
She was put on hold for another hour before having to get off the phone.
She filed an online ‘‘request for contact form’’.
While she was at work two days later she received two text messages from the employment agency and two online letters from Centrelink saying her Newstart Allowance had been terminated.
She dialled the 1300 number provided, and was put on hold. After 15 minutes she tried again, while still at work, and was told by a recording that the wait time was 60 minutes.
She rang the NSW Ombudsman, received another online letter about the cancellation of her support payment, and then in a second call to Centrelink’s families line finally got to speak to an officer, only to be told she needed to go back through to the Newstart department – and was put on hold again.
‘‘It’s just like a massive series of system failures, it’s really quite frustrating and it’s the worst experience I have ever had,’’ Kylie said.
‘‘Why are we put in a position where you can’t contact them and then you are cut off and you are put through the ringer for something that’s so unnecessary? I don’t have a speaker phone at home, I can’t call from work, and often I don’t have an hour, it is just so extreme.’’
Kylie, who receives a Newstart Allowance of $75 a fortnight to help support her son while studying full-time and working 27 hours per week, said she is working as hard as she can towards becoming totally independent.
‘‘It’s just a constant struggle to keep your head above water and still feel like you are moving forward,’’ she said.
A spokesman for the Department of Human Service agreed her case could have been ‘‘better managed’’ and she has since been provided with a dedicated contact point.
‘‘While her payment was restored within a few days, we understand the frustration she experienced in trying to resolve the issue,’’ the spokesman said.
Last year there were 46,000 complaints about Centrelink.
Issues requiring resolution: 1
Phone calls made to government-funded employment agency: 2
Phone calls made to Centrelink: 10+
Minutes on hold without an option to be called back: 200+
Minutes spent waiting for return phone calls: 100+
Text messages received from employment agency while at work: 4
Online letters received: 4
Time taken for resolution: 10 days
Source: Single mother Kylie, of Newcastle (undisputed)
